NaVorro Bowman

Legendary Footballer NaVorro Bowman was considered by most to be one of the best linebackers of his generation. Selected 91st overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2010 NFL Draft, Bowman helped the Niners return to their accustomed status as one of the top teams in the NFL as part of one of the league’s hardest-hitting and strongest defenses during the early 2010s.

Growing up near America’s Capital in District Heights, a suburban area near Washington, D.C., Bowman had to endure plenty of personal adversity on his journey to the pros. Athletically inclined from a young age, Bowman excelled at both basketball and football and played point guard on the basketball team alongside future NBA star Kevin Durant. At Suitland High School it became clear that football was his gift and he emerged as a star player by his junior season playing both linebacker and running back, earning himself first-team all-state, Maryland Defensive Player-of-the-Year, first-team all-conference honors and Washington Post first-team All-Met. Bowman chose to attend one of the most famed football programs in the nation at Pennsylvania State University.

Bowman impressed immediately at college football, but whilst playing for PSU sadly lost both his father and his coach and mentor Nick Lynch. Bowman moved past these tragedies and skipped his senior season to become eligible for the 2010 NFL, where the 49ers took him with the 91st overall pick. In the 2011 season Bowman was a huge reason for the Niners becoming a feared defensive team, and in just his second season he became one of the best at his position with 13 tackles for loss, 143 tackles (111 solo) and three fumble recoveries. After a truly special career in the NFL, Bowman announced his retirement in June 2019.